Sunday, 15 March 2015

BAD GUYS - Bad Guynaecology (Album Review)

"There is no meaning and that's the point, there is no point at all"

I was introduced to Bad Guys by Joop Konraad of The Stoner Hive blog. They grabbed me and put me in the back of a van, they stripped me down to my tighty whiteys, tied me up, gagged me and forced me to "Witness a New Low" ... metaphorically. Before you get the impression that this is one of those social justice "call-out" articles, let me say that although part of me was more than a little repulsed and appalled by what the band did to me (...metaphorically), I secretly enjoyed the experience and would have gladly taken seconds ... though I'd never mention so in polite company.

Enter the band's second album, suitably titled "Bad Guynaecology". Bad Guys are here to make you feel uncomfortable, from the traumatizing album cover on down. They're the funky uncles, the politically incorrect raconteurs of hard rock. Like Jesus before them, Bad Guys take the losers of society on board and give them a voice. But before you get the impression that this band is all fun all the time and that their music is inconsequentially light, understand that behind all the madcap storytelling sits a heavy nihilistic spirit. While clowns may grin but weep inside, Bad Guys leer while numb inside.

The opening track, "Crime" is a vivid and memorable tale about shoplifting. It's told in the spoken/sung style reminiscent of Suicidal Tendencies's "Institutionalized" (as an easy example). The story is told from the shoplifter's point of view as he goes through the motions and emotions of the crime. While the shoplifter's motivations may be slight and spoiled, it matters to him and the force of its telling makes it matter to us. The rogue's gallery exhibit continues on the next song, "Prostitutes (Are Making Love In My Garden)", featuring a catalog of Bad Guy observations about the world's oldest profession is exactly the kind of song you'd think twice about playing in front of sweet little old ladies.

What makes Bad Guys good is that they don't shy away from the grimy underside of life, they turn over the rocks in society and observe and record the scurryings. This is science, the study of absurdity. The song "Reaper" says it all, really: "There is no meaning and that's the point, there is no point at all".

Musically, the band is adventurous, but favors a rough stomping ground, offering 8 songs and 40 minutes of hard rockin' good times. There's a good amount of variation here and Bad Guys are coming from a punk-ish place, spiritually, but to me the highlight of the album is the storytelling, which is unusual because I typically tune lyrics out and listen to the vocal melodies.

Rating: «««½ / 5

'Bad Guynaecology' is released on CD and LP by Riot Season Records, you can order a copy at this location.